Store tour database opens to GMDC members

By Antoinette Alexander

SAN ANTONIO — In an effort to inform and educate GMDC members on the availability of RetailNet Group’s Global Store Tours database, the RetailNet Group will be among the presenters during Sunday’s business sessions.

Sean Deale, customer development manager at RetailNet Group, and Michael Rogosa, director of client services at RetailNet Group, will present Sunday’s session titled “Learn More about GMDC’s New Virtual Store Tour Program for Members.” Via the new GMDC-RetailNet Group partnership, GMDC members can now access the database, which represents the world’s largest repository of store-level photography. The database is accessible by visiting the GMDC website, logging into the GMDC member area and then clicking to link to RetailNet Group’s Global Store Tours.

Michael Rogosa and Sean Deale of RetailNet Group have partnered with GMDC to allow members access to their virtual store tour database.

“RetailNet Group works to identify the retailers that are growing, the channels that are growing and the countries that are growing, and then we use the store tours to show why. So, you can see some of the promotions that are running; you can see execution and that really gives you the rounded picture,” said Deale, who noted that RetailNet Group will host its Mid-Year Forum in Chicago in June.

The highly indexed, searchable photo library houses more than 1,800 photo galleries comprised of about 180,000 photos. It spans nearly 40 countries and features photos of 97 different departments and product categories.

“It is not a database for products. … It is a 6-ft. [back] view of the shelf, allowing you to see adjacencies, advertising and promotion materials, and store layouts,” Deale said. “We are constantly talking about what the future retail landscape looks like, and in doing that, our database really allows you to sort and search to see change whether that is across retailers, across channels [or] across countries.”

Sean Deale of RetailNet Group shares some of the virtual store tour database's features.

“You can view photos at a country level; you can view them for a particular retailer, all the way down to the department level. So, if you are interested in seeing health and beauty in the United States and Brazil, you can do that easily through this tool. If you are interested in seeing beauty just in the United States and just at Walgreens, you can do that. There’s a whole level of customization because we tag each of these photos to a market, to a retailer, to the individual banner,” Rogosa added.

The database also features a Brand Support Index, which ranks retailers on their support of national brands within the store.

“[The BSI] is just another way to identify growth and to allocate your resources and your trade spend effectively,” Rogosa said. “… [The database] is constantly evolving because the more photo galleries we get and the more BSI surveys and more analysis we capture, the tool just grows in power.”

GMDC users also will find a section dubbed “In-Store Trends.” This is currently comprised of 13 trends, including digital integration, global-foods merchandising and the drive format/pick-up stations.

“All of the GMDC members, through this single database, have the ability to sort and search by any of these 13 trends. So, you can click on one of them and get an aggregated photo set of the examples of a trend,” Deale said.